Day 0554 - Atomiser

Big Black "Atomiser" (1985)

I had heard of Big Black (especially their provocatively titled second full-length album "Songs about Fucking") but had never actually heard a note of the music.  I was also very uninformed, in that I had heard of Steve Albini but knew him solely as a producer/engineer.  I didn't realise that he was musician in bands like Big Black and Shellac (he'd also... carrying on his role as provocateur, had a band called Rapeman).

The music here is essentially proto-industrial.  It's just "three men and a drum machine".  The tinny drum machine, aggressive guitars and barked vocals could be seen as an early guidebook for acts like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and even early Shihad.  

Day 0441 - Broken English

Marianne Faithful "Broken English" (1979)

Okay, this was not what I was expecting.  I'd picked Faithful as a bit more of a folky sort. In fact doing a quick bit of digging I see that she got her start in folk.  I guess this is just like that time that I introduced myself to Leonard Cohen's music via his fairly synth-heavy album "I'm your man".

Faithful had been discovered by the Rolling Stones' manager, released some albums, had a relationship with Mick Jagger, was nearly cheated out songwriting royalties by the Stones, was left homeless, lost custody of her son, and ended up addicted to heroin. Coming out the other side of all that she embraced the punk scene and put together this album that combined the sneering attitude, melodic minimalism and abrasiveness of punk with the slightly cold and mechanical sound of synthesizers.

Her lyrics don't take any prisoners, particularly the closing track "why'd ya do it" rebuking a former lover, featuring lines as charming as:
"Why'd ya do it, she said, why'd you spit on my snatch?
Are we out of love now, is this just a bad patch?"
or
"every time I see your dick I see her cunt in my bed"